Acronym

CAN Stop

Study hypothesis

We hypothesise that young cannabis users who participated at the preventive CAN Stop group training in addition to the treatment or service usually provided in the specific help provision context (e.g. drug addiction aid and youth welfare, in-patient medical context, out-patient medical context, juvenile prisons) show lower level of cannabis intake and higher levels of cannabis abstinence-related self-efficacy after the training as opposed to young cannabis users who received the usual treatment or service.

Ethics approval

1. Ethics Committee of the Chamber of Physicians Hamburg approved on 3rd March 2009 (ref: PV3086)2. Ethics Committee of the Schleswig-Holstein Chamber of Physicians approved on 6th May 2009 (ref: AZ 41/09)3. Ethics Committee of the Chamber of Physicians North Rhine approved on 29th January 2010 (ref: 2009366)4. Ethics Committee of the Chamber of Physicians Hesse approved on 2nd August 2010 (ref: MC 168/2010)

Study design

Four-arm randomised wait-list controlled trial

Primary study design

Interventional

Secondary study design

Randomised controlled trial

Trial setting

Other

Trial type

Treatment

Patient information sheet

Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet

Condition

Problematic cannabis use

Intervention

The CAN Stop group training consists of eight group sessions of 90 minutes. Groups consist of six to ten young cannabis users and one or two trainers. The training's rationale is based on behavioural therapeutic and motivational interviewing elements. It encompasses consumer or craving diaries, the work with social and emotional context variables and potential triggers as well as the elaboration of alternative behaviour strategies and the activation of participants resources.

Generally and for motivational reasons, it is left open to participants within the training whether they want to reduce or stop their cannabis use. However, certain settings at which the training is tested officially require absolute consume stops (e.g. prisons), yet this is a characteristic of the respective institution and not of the training itself. After completing the CAN Stop training, certificates are handed out to participants who, participated at least at five out of eight group training sessions, for further gratification. If within a group, only three or less participants remain after other participants dropped out of the group, the group is not further continued.

Control participants receive the respective treatment as usual, which the setting, the person is in usually provides. After the follow-up assessment, participants are invited to take part at a CAN Stop group training if they wish to attend.

Timepoints: t0 (pre) = before the training/ treatment as usualt1 (post) = after the training/ treatment as usual which is 3 months after t0t2 (follow-up) = 6 months after t1

Intervention type

Other

Phase

Not Applicable

Drug names

Primary outcome measures

1. Cannabis use in the past 30 days2. In case of ongoing cannabis use: approximate weight of used cannabis on a day with mean cannabis use

Overall trial start date

15/02/2011

Overall trial end date

31/10/2011

Reason abandoned

Eligibility

Participant inclusion criteria

1. Aged between 14 and 21 years, either sex2. Cannabis consumed is deemed problematic by the young cannabis user or significant persons in his or her context (e.g. parents, teachers)3. Participant's willingness to at least think over previous consumption patterns and to participate at a group dealing with the topic4. Informed consent of participants and in the case of underage participants the informed consent of a parent or official guardian

Participant type

Patient

Age group

Other

Gender

Both

Target number of participants

n = 119

Participant exclusion criteria

Acute symptoms of psychosis or suicidality. These exclusion criteria were checked via standardised screening questions at the beginning of the face-to-face take-in talks at the respective cooperation partner's institutions.